Home Depot opens Ohio DC

Home Depot DC will use hydrogen fuel cells to power forktrucks

LATHAM, New York—The Home Depot opened a new distribution warehouse in Troy Township near Toledo, Ohio on September 18. The facility will rely on hydrogen fuel cell technology to power its material handling equipment.

The Home Depot implemented a GenKey solution from Plug Power that eliminates lead-acid batteries in the warehouse. This included construction of an outdoor GenFuel hydrogen fueling infrastructure, installation of four indoor hydrogen-dispensing stations, and deployment of 172 Plug Power GenDrive fuel cells in the centre’s forklift trucks. The package also includes GenCare aftermarket service and support.

“Moving towards a sustainable and productivity-enhancing operation is a big step for any company,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. “The sustainability-focused facility built by The Home Depot in Ohio bolsters its strategic plans for a successful, environmentally friendly, and revenue-enhancing site. On behalf of Plug Power, I congratulate The Home Depot on its grand opening and on the implementation of its new hydrogen fuel cell-powered lift truck fleet.”

With GenKey, The Home Depot has the ability to make a significant impact regarding site greenhouse gas emissions. The fuel cells produce zero emissions, as only heat and water are generated as byproducts of the energy creation. The Home Depot’s decision to switch from lead-acid batteries to Plug Power’s hydrogen fuel cells provides a net annual savings of more than 800 tons of greenhouse gas CO2 emissions. These savings could increase to 9,000 tons of CO2 over the life of the project, the equivalent of removing more than 1,800 cars from the road.